Rich Forer is a Jewish-American author and activist. He discusses his perspective of growing up Jewish, being a member of AIPAC, and how his perspective on Palestine shifted dramatically, shattering his entire worldview.
Dr. Jessica Zucker returns to the podcast for her 4th visit, focusing on the importance of talking about hard things: Cancer, miscarriages, perimenopause, and more. Watch for her new book, Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women’s Lives.
Mark M is Paul’s friend from a support group. He visits the podcast to share his story of addiction, growing up entrenched in deception, and how he eventually broke the pattern in his adult life. He digs into his complicated family life, the losses he’s suffered, and how he continues to work through it all to maintain a life of integrity.
Gary Katz is a sex addiction therapist and the founder of the Center for Intimacy Recovery. He talks about the trauma of intimate betrayal, and the importance of intimacy with the self, and offers key insights into and tips for healthy, intimate relationships.
Jennifer Westcott is a therapist who has shared her story of sexual abuse at the hands of her mother. She returns for her second visit on the pod and opens up about the emotional hangover she had after recording her first episode. In this episode, she digs into her healing journey and the immense progress she’s made.
Jennifer Westcott is a therapist who, as an adult, began to recall sexual abuse by her mother. She and Paul both dig deep to talk about maternal sexual abuse and why it’s so difficult for people to understand and accept. Jennifer also shares the painful reactions from her family and how she’s pressed on with the help of her husband and her work in therapy.
Dr. Blaise Aguirre is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He specializes in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) with a particular focus on borderline personality disorder (BPD). He discusses his recent clinical work on self-hatred and discusses his new book, I Hate Myself: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realize Why You’re Wrong About You.
Ryan Sheldon (@RealRyanSheldon) is a speaker, a model, an eating disorder advocate, and the author of F*ckboys Are Boring: A Gay Man’s Guide to Dating (For Everyone). He shares excerpts from his book and talks about his lifelong journey to self-acceptance, through eating disorders, body image issues, and dating all the wrong men. He also shares tips on healthy ways to look for partners.
This Best Of episode was originally recorded and aired in 2015. Jeanie, a writer, talks about being parentless at 3 and the complex relationship with her mentally disabled sister whom she now has guardianship of. She and Paul bond over suicidal thoughts, isolating and much much more